First national organizations
So rapid was the development of Negro Baptists in America, and so rapidly did
the district, state and sectional organizations multiply, that the leaders in
these various states and sections were led to see the great power that would be
derived from the general affiliation and co-operation of these bodies for the
purpose of meeting the missionary and educational demands of the denomination.
The first organization broader than an association or state convention was The
American Baptist Missionary Convention, organized by the Colored Baptists of the
New England and Middle States in 1840. In response to the great cry that came
from the African mission fields for means and missionaries, and because of a
disagreement between the colored and white missionaries with reference to the
treatment of natives, the Foreign Mission Convention was organized at
Montgomery.

Ala., in 1880. Six years later, (1886)
responding to the call of the lamented Dr. Wm. J. Simmons, of Kentucky, who was
foremost in the work of the denomination and in the hearts of the Baptist
brother-hood, representatives from various states met in St. Louis, and
organized The American Baptist National Convention. In 1888 The National
Educational Society was organized by a large body of Baptists who were
interested in the development of religious education and in Negro Baptist
educational institutions. Drs. W. B. Johnson, of Washington, D. C., and P. F.
Morris, of Virginia, were largely responsible for the organization of the
society. As a matter of convenience and economy the three organizations named
decided to meet at the same time and place. Soon afterwards the Baptists of the
West decided to have a convention of their own, and the Western States and
Territorial Convention, semi-national, became a fact.

In 1895 at Atlanta, Ga., The Foreign Mission
Convention, The National Educational Society and The American National
Convention consolidated with Dr. E. C. Morris, of Helena, Ark., president, and
Wm. H. Stewart, secretary, under one constitution, the preamble of which is as
follows:

The National Baptist Convention formed

"Whereas, It is the sense of the
colored Baptists of the United States of America, convened in the city of
Atlanta, Ga., September 28, 1895, in the several organizations known as
"The Baptist Foreign Mission Convention, of the United States of
America," hitherto engaged in mission work on the West Coast of Africa;
"The National Baptist Educational Convention," which has been
engaged in mission work in the United States of America; and "The
National Baptist Educational Convention," which has sought to look after
the educational interest, that the interest of the kingdom of God requires
that the several bodies above named should unite in one body."

The name of the new organization is given as
"The National Baptist Convention of the United States of America."

Article II. gives the object as follows:

"The object of this convention shall be
to do mission work in the United States, in Africa and elsewhere abroad, to
foster the cause of education and to promote the publication and circulation
of religious literature."

The management of the Boards
The constitution further provides that, "The Convention shall elect at each
annual meeting a Foreign Mission, a Home Mission, an Educational, a B. Y. P. U.,
a Publishing and other Boards, as may be deemed necessary from time to
time." In 1896, at the St. Louis meeting of the Convention, a publishing
house was projected and was soon in operation with Dr. R. H. Boyd at the head.
This necessitated the institution of The National Baptist Publishing Board. In
1903 "The National Baptist Benefit Association Board" was added to the
list. All of the work fostered by the Convention is under the management of
these various Boards, which consist of one member from each State or Territorial
Convention representing. The Corresponding Secretary of each Board has the
general management of the work of the Board, subject to regulations of his
Board, which reports annually to the Convention of all work done by it during
the year.

The National Baptist Foreign Mission Board was
organized in 1895 and located at Louisville, Ky., with Rev. John H. Frank, D.
D., Chairman, and Rev. L. M. Luke, D. D., Corresponding Secretary. Rev. C. H.
Parrish, A. M., D. D., of Louisville, President of Eckstein Norton University,
Cane Springs, Ky., Dr. Jordan and the veteran Dr. D. A. Gaddie of Louisville,
and now Chairman, Corresponding Secretary and Recording Secretary respectively.
The Board has for its objects the sending of missionaries to foreign fields and
the employment of natives as fast as they can be developed for the work. Its
report for the conventional year ending September 1, 1909, shows $23,471.25
collected, and expended $15,575.93 for missions, missionaries' salaries and
traveling, with eight field missionaries. This Board is the custodian of
considerable property in mission fields in Africa, South America and the West
Indies. Dr. Jordan, who has seved as Corresponding Secretary since 1896, is a
specialist on missionary methods. He has been invaluable to the denomination as
a gatherer and disseminator of missionary information.

The Home Board and its field work
The Home Mission Board was located at Little Rock, Arkansas, with Rev. G. W. D.
Gaines, Chairman, and Prof. Joseph A. Booker, A. M., Corresponding Secretary.
Drs. J. P. Robinson, of Little Rock, Arkansas, and R. H. Boyd, are now chairman
and Secretary, respectively. Rev. Wm. Beckham, S. T. D., has for several years
been a splendid success as Field Secretary. This Board has in its co-operative
missionary work about 65 missionaries, who work in co-operation with State
Conventions and with the Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention
(white). These missionaries are doing missionary and colporteur work jointly.
The report for the conventional year ending September 1, 1909, shows that these
missionaries delivered 10,229 sermons and addresses, visited 5,853 homes for
Bible reading and prayer, visited 3,221 churches, assisted in organizing 38
churches and 42 Sunday-schools. It also shows that the sum of $44,295.94 was
received and expended by the Board for Home Missions, missionaries salaries and
expenses. The Home Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention donated
$7,262.50 on salaries of missionaries.

The Publishing Board a great success
The Publishing Board was organized in 1898 and located at Nashville, Tennessee,
with Rev. C. H. Clark, D. D., Chairman and Dr. R. H. Boyd, General Secretary,
both of whom still hold these positions respectively, with Rev. W. S. Ellington,
D. D., as Editorial Secretary. It operates here the largest Negro publishing
concern in the world. Organized thirteen years ago, it has been a marvelous
success from the beginning, and it is generally conceded that Secretary Boyd has
no superior in the management of publishing concerns. The Publishing Board has
exclusive right of publishing all church and Sunday-school literature for the
National Baptist Convention.

It has property, machinery and stock estimated
at $350,000, and employs about 150 clerks, stenographers and skilled workmen. As
evidence that its success is marked, we note the fact that the Board has just
(1909) installed a Scott's all-size "Rotary Book Printing Press" (the
first of its kind south of the Ohio River) at a cost of $18,000. It published
for the year September 1, 1908 to August 31, 1909, 11,717,876 copies of
Sunday-school periodicals, besides its song books, Bibles, etc., and raised and
expended $159,652.27, and reported a balance in hand of $3,088.92.

Two new features of this Board's work are the
manufacturing of church and school furniture, begun in 1908, and the National
Baptist Teacher-Training Service, inaugurated September 1, 1909, with the writer
of this volume as Superintendent.

Under the direction of the scholarly mind and
careful eye of Dr. W. S. Ellington, Editorial Secretary, the following
periodicals are being published: The Teacher (monthly), the Senior Quarterly,
the Advanced Quarterly, the Intermediate Quarterly and the Primary Quarterly.
With reference to this Board's work we quote the following from an address by
President Morris: "The publishing interests of the convention have been
directed by a master mind and a steady hand and need no special comment to
convince the public that it is one of the greatest enterprises now operated by
our people. It has afforded opportunities that no other department can give.
Many persons who never had a thought of preparing sacred literature to be read
by the coming generations have held positions in the editorial staff and are
developing into first-class expositors; and others who are well prepared for
such a work have found it an opportunity."

Educational Board Theological Seminary
The Educational Board, organized in 1895, was located at Washington, D. C., with
Rev. P. F. Morris, D. D., Chairman, and Dr. W. Bishop Johnson, Corresponding
Secretary. Its headquarters are now in Nashville, Tenn., and Rev. T. J. Searcy,
D. D., is Chairman, and Rev. A. N. McEwen, D. D., who, having served less than
one year as Corresponding Secretary, has just died. The main features of these
Boards' work are the federation of all Negro Baptist schools in the United
States, except the eight owned by the American Baptist Home Mission Society
(white), and to establish and operate a National Theological Seminary, at
Nashville, Tenn. The plan of federation will effect twenty-three schools owned
by Negro Baptists, but contributed to by the A. B. Home Mission Society and the
twenty-six schools owned, controlled and supported by Negro Baptists. The Board
is now planning to erect a $50,000 building for the Theological Seminary. Rev.
Sutton E. Griggs, B. D., has been elected to the position of Corresponding
Secretary of this Board.

Operation of the B.Y.P.U. Board
The National B. Y. P. U. Board was organized in 1899, with Rev. N. H. Pius,
Chairman, and Rev. E. W. D. Isaac, D. D., the gifted writer and splendid orator,
Secretary, and is located at Nashville, Tenn. Rev. P. James Bryant, D. D., is
now Chairman. Its tenth annual report (1909) shows that it holds in trust for
the Convention "eight hundred dollars worth of office furniture, fixtures,
plates, etc., at 409 Gay Street." Under its plans and direction, during
these ten years have organized 7,600 local B. Y. P. U. Societies and
thirty-eight state and three hundred and twenty district B. Y. P. U.
Conventions. This report which is for the conventional year closing Aug. 31,
1909 shows the following as received and expended: general fund, $2,485.13; B.
Y. P. U. Missions, $4,211; Foreign Missions, $17.23; Christian Education,
$3,975.50. The total amount handled by this Board for this year $12,553.58.

National Benefit Association
The National Baptist Benefit Association Board was organized in 1903 and located
at Helena, Arkansas, with Rev. C. B. Brown its Chairman, and Rev. W. A. Holmes,
Corresponding Secretary. On the death of Rev. Holmes, Rev. A. A. Cosey, D. D.,
became Corresponding Secretary, which position he still holds. This Board pays
"death claims" to Baptist ministers and laymen who become members of
the Association. It costs $2.50 to become a member, and $1.00 once a quarter, or
$4.00 a year keeps up the membership. The Board purposes to establish a home for
aged and decrepit ministers as soon as possible. The report for the year ending
September, 1909, gives the following facts: